Hi, I’m John and according to many, I’m judgmental.
And you know what? I have a confession…
I completely agree.
In fact, I love being called judgmental.
I adore it when students, or their parents , or Facebook Friends, or adults in the church call me judgmental. I relish it, revel in it, delight in it.
You see, that word, (the “J-word”), is now the default word in our culture when faced with real accountability, when challenged on behavior, when confronted by disagreement, when questioned on position.
Calling someone judgmental is the easy-out, trump card, guaranteed discussion-stopper. It is the go-to play, when are called-out by someone else in any manner.
It is also the most blatant cop-out on the planet.
And yet, judgmental is an adjective that I will proudly embrace.
I am one of the most judgmental people I know, and I’m OK with that. (Actually, I’m quite proud of it).
I just think many people misuse the word.
Most people, when they use the J-word for any religious person, (I will include myself here), they are saying that that someone is making a moral judgment on them; some statement about their character or their spiritual condition.
Bible-thumping Televangelists, bullhorn-carrying street preachers and self-righteous church folk make these moral judgments all the time. They throw around the word sinner a lot, and stand from a distance making loud statements about the eternal destination of folks.
I’m almost 100 percent certain that I have never done that… to anyone… ever.
However, there is a different kind of judgment; and that is a judgment of value. Think of it as the way one appraises diamonds, or establishes auction prices for estates, or ascribes worth to ancient relics.
As a pastor of teenagers, I gladly make value judgments a million times a day.
You see, I know the worth of the students I work with. I understand their intrinsic value, even when they don’t. I get their pricelessness even if those around them ignore it. I see when they are allowing themselves to be cheapened, when they give too much away or when they allow others to devalue them.
My job, as a pastor, is to step into that iniquity and argue against; to fight for what is valuable to be respected and honored.
Notice that I said, “step into” those places. The ones who make moral judgments do so from a safe distance. They shout and generalize and assume superiority. They require no understanding of someone’s story. Moral Judges don’t care about the person, but only about their own principles.
Accuse me of that, and then we’ll have a problem.
But the one who makes value judgments is close and invested and persistent. He or she cares more about protecting something precious, than being maligned or criticized or misunderstood.
So yes…
To that tenth grade girl plastering her body all over her Facebook page week after week, I am making the judgment that you are worth more than the cheap attention you are chasing.
To those twenty-year olds who still spend every weekend getting hammered and high and driving home, I am judging that your brains and futures are too valuable to destroy like that.
To that high school guy who uses girls like they are fast-food placemats, I am making the judgment that your worth and theirs is far too great to take so lightly.
I will continue to be bold and unapologetic and honest in the face of defiance.
I will continue to fight for the priceless truth of the students I serve, despite the words thrown my way.
I will continue to speak the hardest words about the most important things.
I will continue to be unapologetically judgmental.
